35 peaks

7 pubs

1 journey

An incredible subscription gift - get a Primus Eta Lite stove for free!

All of this and more can be found in the new Spring issue of the UK’s best-selling hillwalking magazine - on sale Thursday 21st March.

Subscribe to Trail magazine and we’ll send you a Primus stove worth £100!

Take out a subscription to Trail magazine and, for a limited time only, you'll receive a Primus Eta Lite stove worth £100 as a welcome gift! Visit www.greatmagazines.co.uk/trail or call 01858 438884 quoting BFAA.

Inside the issue…

New Epic Trail - The Peak to Pub Trail

Who’s up for a new long-distance walking route, summiting 35 of Lakeland’s best mountains and staying at seven of its best pubs? Good, because we’ve made one…

And this is the labour of our love – the Lake District Peak to Pub Trail. 7 days, 7 classic pubs, and 35 Lakeland peaks...

Heaven on the Isles

Around the globe, travelling by foot has many names – hiking, backpacking, rambling. In the mountainous areas of the UK and Ireland, it’s commonly known as hillwalking. Australian Tristan Smith recently found himself, half by accident, travelling from his home in the USA to ‘hike’ the highest peaks in the British Isles. This is his story...

All of this and more can be found in the new April issue of Trail magazine - on sale Thursday 21st February

Dream Peaks

If you could choose one UK peak to climb once the clocks have spun back and the snows have started to retreat from the mountains, what would it be? Spring’s almost here, so we’ve gathered a team of experts to reveal the summits they most want to stand on once winter releases its grip.

With its milder temperatures, longer daylight hours and the return of green to a grey world, this is a fabulous time to head to the hills.

A walk on the wild side

Add a dusting of snow to the Lake District’s Newlands Round for a high-level horseshoe that appeals to man and beast alike.

It felt incredible that two wild creatures would go to the effort of completing a full circuit of Newlands

Visions of the north west

A photographic dedication of adoration to the most stunning landscapes in Scotland by Alex Nail.

“The summit view from Suilven is rightly listed amongst the finest in the Highlands.

The sounds of silence

Being in the mountains is an immersive, sensory experience, and nowhere is this felt more keenly than the quiet corner of the Cairngorms occupied by Beinn a’ Ghlo.

The only sound to be heard... was the regular crunch-crunch of boots on the firm gravel

England’s arctic plateau

Mastering the art of winter navigation requires skill, confidence and experience, and Trail knows the perfect playground to practice.

The curious thing about Kinder Scout is nobody knows where the summit is

Plus...

Know-how, gear, and routes

All this and more in the April issue of Trail magazineon sale 21.02.19

All of this and more can be found in the new March issue of Trail magazine - on sale Thursday 24th January

Mountains For the Mind

One in four people in Britain experience mental health problems each year, and one in six of us report them to our GP every single week. BUT it’s been scientifically proven that spending time in the great outdoors is a powerful natural anti-depressant, and regular exercise can reduce the risk of depression by 30%. That’s why in 2019 we’re launching Mountains For the Mind – a campaign to finally get mental health out in the open.

I realised hills aren’t just a form of exercise. They really are a form of therapy, and I needed to get back out on them.

HighHopes

Meet Riggindale – the Lake District ridge built for winter wandering.

The entire mountain was deserted of other people for as far as we could see. We felt alone, bold, daring...

Secret Views of Snowdonia

Despite being one of Britain’s most photographed national parks, the mountains of Eyri still offer plenty of surprises – as a stunning new photography book reveals. Here, the author Nick Livesey shares some of his favourites...

Five and a half years ago I moved to Snowdonia, and after many previous visits I thought I knew the area well. How wrong can you be? 

The wonder of weather

Nowhere are we more vulnerable to weather than exposed on a mountaintop. Dr Mike Reading, Senior Operational Meteorologist at the Met Office, heads into the Cairngorms with Trail to share his insights into mountain weather.

It’s hard to imagine a nation more obsessed with weather than us Brits. But those of us who are also mountain lovers take our fixation with weather reports to another level altogether. 

Plus...

Know-how, gear, and routes

All this and more in the March issue of Trail magazineon sale 24.01.19

The Lake District in Winter!

Plus

All of this and more can be found in the new February issue of Trail magazine - on sale Friday 28th December.

winter in, game on

The Yorkshire Three Peaks: a trio of iconic summits within a sea of ragged moorland. It’s completed by thousands in summer, but how hard is this famous challenge when dictated by winter rules?

The table top of Ingleborough is a disorientating place in a whiteout

Facing the fear

A love of the mountains is not always a straightforward affair, and a fear of heights can turn a magical experience into a hellish mangle of trepidation and panic. But there is an answer, and it’s a brain game that everyone can learn from.

The principal theory behind the multi-approach programme is that there are two distinct parts of the brain

Striding edge in winter

It is the Lakes’ most famous ridge, and at its most stunning when white. But under snow, is Helvellyn’s finest as hard as it looks?

Striding Edge has become a rite of passage for just about everybody who walks or climbs

Rime team

Scottish giant Schiehallion’s historic landmarks can be tricky to find. Buried by snow, the challenge increases dramatically – but so does the reward in finding them…

It looks wonderfully triangular and mountain-shaped when seen from Loch Rannoch to the West

Plus...

Know-how, gear, and routes

All this and more in the February issue of Trail magazineon sale 27.12.18

Easy Hills for Winter

Plus

All of this and more can be found in the new January issue of Trail magazine - on sale Thursday 29th November.

Stepping up to snowy summits

Are you sitting comfortably? Good. Because I have an embarrassing confession to make and one that I’ve not revealed to anybdy before. Deep breath. Ok, here goes…

I have yet to climb a mountain in winter. I am a cherubic maiden to winter hillwalking

Old Man’s Ribs

Ever wondered what lies beneathConiston Old Man? Trail delves below the surface of one of Lakeland’s most renowned fells, so you don’t have to…

We sploshed and shuffled along the dark, eerie passageway before being confronted by a two-way junction that divided our path

36 minute munro

It’s not the highest, or most exciting, and it’s certainly not the prettiest mountain. But if you’ve a little over half-an-hour to spare and are looking to bag a Munro, The Cairnwell is perfect.

Very few big Scottish mountains can be bagged in that sort of window, but The Cairnwell can

Off the grid

Mobile coverage is getting better. 4G is making the mountains more accessible than ever. Reliable communication, increased safety, greater connectivity with those at home. 2019 might be the last year you can be involuntarily off the grid in the hills. But is that a good thing?

Tis year over 75% of call-outs occurring in the summer, and over half of the calls to Scottish Mountain Rescue in 2017 involved no injury

Plus...

Know-how, gear, and routes

All this and more in the January issue of Trail magazineon sale 29.11.18

On the edge

Plus

The gift of mountains.

Skye the easy way

Shoes vs boots

All of this and more can be found in the new December issue of Trail magazine - on sale Thursday 1st November.

The Big little island

Read ‘Cuillin’, and you probably think of Skye. But Rùm has a Cuillin range of its own, steeped in Norse history, natural wonders, unique geological curiosities, and mountain adventures of the purest kind.

“A small isle it may be, but in heart and spirit it’s as big as they come”

Adventure: bottled

How a rainy day mission to visit Lake District tarns resulted in the discovery of dramatic ravines and hidden valleys. And all in one of its most well-walked places...

Rather than bagging summits, we were going to bag tarns.

The Greatest Gift

A century ago The Great War fell silent – and with it this clutch of Lakeland hills, mourning a lost generation of young rock climbers, became a legacy that lasts to this day...

On each and every footstep on these fells you will be in the presence of the true spirit of freedom

Worm’s Head: The Gower Peninsula

Twice a day off the Swansea coast a wild peninsula is scythed from the mainland and a tidal island of limestone crags, golden beaches and Stone Age caves is born. Now imagine having that entire place to yourself for one night only.

It’s not fun until you have some of the landscape under your fingernails

Plus...

Know-how, gear, and routes

All this and more in the December issue of Trail magazineon sale 01.11.18

All of this and more can be found in the new October issue of Trail magazine - on sale Thursday 6th September.

Wordsworth Retraced

Two centuries ago this very month, Wordsworth made a daring climb of Scafell Pike. But there’s a twist in the tale that deserves a closer look.

The air changed to cold, and mighty masses of cloud came boiling over the mountains

— Dorothy Wordsworth

across the divide

On the border with England and Wales there is a landmark hill. As it turns out, as well as signposting something magnificent, it’s quite special in itself…

It’s not a 360° view, but in this direction it might be a 360-mile one

An Uphill Paddle

It’s hot, you’re sticky, and the clear flowing water of that cascading stream is oh so tempting. There’s never been a better time to go ghyll scrambling...

The cascade was braided by ridges of bare, dry rock

Finding Eden

In the north-west of our island is a loch. Within that loch is an island. Within that island is a lochan. And within that lochan is an island. An island in a lochan in an island in a loch in an island. And somewhere, amid all that, is a piece of heaven.

Slioch stood admiring its reflection in the mirror-still water

BADLANDS

The summer’s fires on Saddleworth Moor are the latest in a line of dark events to befall this wild place. Trail takes a walk amongst it and asks whether a place can ever transcend the sins of its past…

The fire was so big it could be seen from space

Plus...

Know-how, gear, and routes

All this and more in the October issue of Trail magazineon sale 06.09.18

Snowdonia Slate Trail

This world is rich in mosses, ferns, liverworts and lichens – a mini rainforest in Snowdonia.

How Hard is... Crib Goch

Ragged, razor-sharp and – if reputation is to be believed – risky, the ridge of Crib Goch is a polarising place.

If you are thinking of traversing Crib Goch my advice is to prepare yourself mentally for the challenge...

Back to life

Trail takes a digital detox in the Brecon Beacons and discovers there’s no better way to spend a summer night than a back to (almost) basics wild camp....

Every time I’ve wild camped I’ve walked back down the mountain in a much better mood than the one I walked up in.

Lost Causey

It’s one of Lakeland’s signature hills – yet deftly escapes the masses. Trail takes on a mountain underdog with charisma to spare…

...and there, poking out of a blue mist, was an outline that imprinted on me: the buckled summit of Causey Pike...

The big test: 40-50l backpacking rucksacks

To explore the mountains day after day on one continuous journey requires a rucksack that allows the backpacker to be self-reliant. Trail headed to the Lake District to test 40-50 litre models built for just that...

To journey for days, weeks or months through the mountains requires a commitment to the task...

Plus...

Know-how, gear, and routes

All this and more in the September issue of Trail magazineon sale 09.08.18

Dream Mountain

From the perfect first hill to the toughest challenge out there - why Brecon Beacon icon Pen y Fan truly has it all.

Plus

Escape the crowds - the secret to getting the best routes to yourself... every time.

Your kid's first hill - ideas, locations, and tips to make that first mountain epic.

Scrambling on Arran - risk, reward and what you can learn about yourself on the way.

News, how-tos, reviews and routes

All of this and more can be found in the new August issue of Trail magazine - on sale Thursday 12th July.

Biggest Fan

Whether it's your first time or your 50th, the iconic Pen y Fan is the hill with everything.

Despite the relatively easy climb, we now stood higher than anything else in sight

First Hill Ever

How to make a child's first hillwalk set the scene for a lifetime of adventure (with a little help from hopes, promises, bunnies and poo).

You can’t make your kids love the outdoors, however terribly important it is to you

Beyond the crowds

Getting the very best from the Lakeland fells might just involve a night on the wild side...

I felt I had taken the bits I loved most in life and scrunched them all up into one night on a hill

Risk and Reward

A gnarly island ridge requiring scrambling skills aplenty and a tolerance for exposure? No, not the Skye's Cuillin - this is the A' Chir ridge on Arran, and it offers rewards for all levels of risk-takers...

Accessing the summit required a dose of bloody-mindedness

The big test: one-person single-skin shelters

A simple question: which duo-sized tent would you spend your cash on for the fickle British climate? A wild camp in the Lake District is the setting for a scrap to find out...

The shattering of rock on Great End had not woken me, but merely added to the sympohinc experience

Plus...

Know-how, gear, and routes

All this and more in the August issue of Trail magazineon sale 12.07.18

Helvellyn - discover the mountain that won the nation's vote!

Plus...

All of this and more can be found in the new April issue of Trail magazine - on sale Thursday 22nd February.

Helvellyn - celebration of a Lakeland Legend

Following the biggest walking poll ever conducted, an ITV show recently named Helvellyn not only as Britain's favourite mountain walk, but its favourite walk of all. Trail takes a look at the best bits of England's third-highest mountain and asks - what makes it the nation's favourite fell?

Swirral Edge pleasantly surprises people with how divertingly gnarly it is

Into the limelight

Firmly in the shadow of other celebrity Snowdonian peaks, the gaze of the masses is blinded to Moel Siabod, but occasionally it's the little stars that shine the brightest.

Shadowy cliffs, the haunts of ravens and not a lot else...

The Cuillin Ridge for Walkers

Think the most fearsome mountains in the land are just for steely-nerved climbers? You're only half right. This is the other half...

Straight away, we have to bend double to climb and soon enough are also breathless with exertion

Blown away

A wind reputed to be so powerful it can strip trees, rip off rooftops and topple horses - no wonder it's the only wind in the UK to be named. Trail heads up Cross Fell in Cumbria to take on the Helm

Who did we think we were anyway, taking on the mighty Helm wind?

The greatest view on the planet

The Faroe islands are not only home to some incredible walks, they also hold a special world record too. Trail climbs The Faroe's tallest peak in search of a once-in-a-lifetime view...

The high vantage point gives another view of the turquoise waters, those crashing waves so still from 880 metres above

Plus...

Skills, gear, and routes

All this and more in the April issue of Trail magazineon sale 22.02.18

All of this and more can be found in the new March issue of Trail magazine - on sale Thursday 25th January.

The other side of summer

An easy scramble becomes a tantalising expedition in winter. This is Lord's Rake under ice.

The harder and more wintry it becomes, the more enchanting it all is.

Dream it? Do it!

Whether you're a newcomer looking for a fasttrack to a hill walking life list worthy of teh best or simply want a cool 'List of Things to Do in 2018', here's a ready-made hillwalking CV just waiting for your boots!

31 things that will make this your most epic outdoor year yet.

Winter wild camping... how hard can it be?

For the uninitiated, the idea of lugging a tent up a snow-covered mountain in search of somewhere to sleep raises a lot of questions. We'll do our best to answer them here...

Winter Rocks!

Stunning days out to spice up the coldest month

The Massacre Cave - Trail unearths history on the the tiny Scottish island of Eigg.

Aurora-hunting in the UK.

Master ice axe and crampon skills

Andy Kirkpatrick's Psycho Vertical film reviewed.

All of this and more can be found in the new February issue of Trail magazine - on sale Thursday 28th December.

Peaky Blinders

Full-on hill walking without venturing into a high, white wilderness? Here's how to pack six of the Peak's sharpest summits into one epic weekend.

Limestone reefs of Chrome and Parkhouse Hills, both jutting up like clam shell halves

The bones of Massacre Cave

In October 2016, Trail discovered human remains on the Isle of Eigg. Now, after a year of archaeological investigation, they've been revealed to be those of a 500-year-old teenager. It's the island's darkest chapter.

Protruding from the dark earth was a row of curved rods, the same tainted colour as the initial discovery. “These are ribs.”

The hills saved my life

Making a living from a passion is a dream for most of us, bur for photographer Nick Livesey, the highest places of Wales became his saviour as well as his way of life.

I immediately knew that I had found my escape - not from reality, but to it.

Lunar Tick

What do you get if you combine England's highest mountain with fresh snow and a full moon? A classic in the making.

Headtorch off, detail began to emerge, starting with a brightening in the U-shaped bite of Mickledore.

Plus...

Skills, gear, and routes

All this and more in the February issue of Trail magazineon sale 28.12.17

All of this and more can be found in the new January issue of Trail magazine - on sale Thursday 30th November.

Pennine Way Perfection

Short on time? Just do the best bits of the UK's oldest long-distance path with Trail's take on an ultimate weekend on the 'Way.

The train was the perfect ticket to Pennine highlights.

A Man vs mountain

What happens to your body when you trek up a mountain? Sporting an array of gizmos and gadgets, human guinea pig Jack Hart sets off to the Lake District to find out.

It had the exact conditions we needed to test the effect of mountain on this particular man: a bloody steep climb.

Land of little wonders

There are rock-star hills we all know. There are cult classics that are appreciated but less visited. Then there are the rest: the never'eardof'ems. But just because they're low on fame doesn't make them short on charm...

To the south, the imposing brawn of the Cairngorms glowered. To the north, a haze-diffused wilderness brooded.

What Makes Good Kit?

Good gear keeps you alive, but how is it made and how can you make the best of it? Trail finds out...

If you know how to dress appropriately for the UK hills, then you’re fairly well sorted for worldwide walking.

Plus...

Skills, gear, and routes

All this and more in the January issue of Trail magazineon sale 30.11.17

On Foot in the Lake District

Where has the year gone? It's flying by! But despite the month written on the front of the latest issue of Trail, we've actually got a bit of 2017 left.

So, in the December issue you'll find Trail eeking the last drops of Autumn out of the year by dossing down in an iconic Lake District hostel in a wild valley, applying mindfulness to a day on the hills, breakfasting on a pointy Welsh peak and, umm, sleeping under a rock.

Plus there's a 24 page autumnal gear guide, the usual news, reviews and know-how, and 12 routes to walk this month. All of this and more can be found in the new December issue of Trail magazine - on sale Thursday 2nd November.

Location³

Walls and a roof. That's all a building is. But where Black Sail hut's walls and roof reside make this particular building so much more. COme sit by the fire and find out why...

This is a landmark fell for most. For Black Sail, it’s just a neighbour.

Castles in the sky

Invisible on the map, unexpected on the ground - and the perfect foil for a dodgy weather day in the Peak District.

All this and more in the December issue of Trail magazineon sale 02.11.17

Awesome Autumn

Autumn is here. The days are getting shorter, the hours of darkness more numerous. It's probably time we started slowing down and spending more time indoors...

No chance.

In the November issue you'll find Trail taking Himalayan mountaineer Alan Hinkes on his first ever trip up Suilven, exploring the secret life of a Lakeland Cave, rediscovering Wales' forgotten mountain and pointing beginner bothyers in the right direction. Plus there's ice climbing, navigation of Special Forces standard, scrambling grades explained, waterproof jackets reviewed and no fewer than 13 walks to do this month in the form of our detailed route guides. And breathe...

All of this and more can be found in the new November issue of Trail magazine - on sale Thursday 5th October.

Legend of the north

Suilven is a magnetic mountain, drawing attention and devotion from all mountaineers. But one had yet to fall under its influence. Trail took him north to discover the attraction...

Clouds billowed up from its belly and poured over the rock, cascading earthward before catching the breeze and spiralling skywards once more.

Beyond the boundaries

Wales is covered with wild land, but not all of it is protected by National Parks. What does that mean for these hills? We went to one of the highest to find out...

This entire mountain range isn’t corralled by a national park. If it were, it would surely receive far more love than it currently does.

Langstrath cave

High in the Lakeland fells, hidden far from the eyes of mere Wainwright baggers, is a 'secret' cave. So secret I've known about it for at least 15 years. So secret most people with a few years' hillwalking experience know about it. So secret it has a visitors' book, a stove, and a legendary hidden door. For this is no secret. This is the Langstrath cave.

The steel door was rumoured to have been faced with rock.

Ice cool skills

Escaping a wet weather day on the West Highland Way. Honing skills for coming winter. Ticking off an ambition. Just three reasons to give ice climbing a go...

Some 500 tonnes of frozen water coats the walls reaching 12 metres.

Special Forces Navigation

Discover how you can use techniques used by Special Forces to enhance your safety on the hill and be aware of sensory experiences you might have otherwise missed.

I’m weaving about the patrol taking photos when the navigator drops to the floor - shot and killed.

Plus...

Skills, gear, and routes

All this and more in the October issue of Trail magazineon sale 05.10.17